Mine That Bird's Derby Win Thrills Canadians
Derby Champion's Pedigree Features Classic Canadian Bloodlines
May 2, 2009
Mine That Bird was co-bred by Peter Lamantia of Toronto. Lamantia doesn’t have a farm, so he co-owns broodmares with an old college friend, Bill Betz, and their mares foal at Betz’s farm in Kentucky.
Canadian Breeding Behind Derby Winner
Lamantia has been involved in horse racing for years. One of his good mares was the Ontario-bred Little To Do, a daughter of Dynastic. Little To Do won the Selene (now G3) and the 1984 Seaway Stakes (now G3). She died shortly after producing her fourth foal, a chestnut filly named Aspenelle, sired by the Ontario-bred stallion Vice Regent, a son of the Canadian-bred champion Northern Dancer. Vice Regent’s dam, granddam and great-granddam were all Canadian-bred.
Aspenelle was second in the 1993 Canadian Oaks behind two-time champion Deputy Jane West. She was supposed to run in the Queen’s Plate, but bowed a tendon and was retired.
Aspenelle was bred to the Ontario-bred sire Smart Strike, by Mr. Prospector and out of the great Canadian broodmare Classy ‘n’ Smart (out of the Canadian-bred No Class). The result was a filly named Mining My Own. Two leg fractures kept that filly from racing, so she was bred to Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone, winner over $1.5-million. Birdstone’s dam is by Canadian-bred Storm Bird, who was by Northern Dancer and out of the Canadian mare South Ocean. The Birdstone—Mining My Own foal would have two crosses to Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Queen’s Plate winner Northern Dancer.
Mining My Own delivered her first foal, a colt, on May 10, 2006, in Kentucky. He would be named Mine That Bird.
Bargain Yearling Becomes a Derby Champion
Lamantia and Betz decided to sell the colt as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall 2007 Yearling Sale. Canadian trainer Dave Cotey picked him up for just $9,500 and brought him to Canada. He was gelded and began his career at Woodbine in Toronto. Mine That Bird was fifth in his first start, broke his maiden next time out, then reeled off wins in the Silver Deputy Stakes, Swynford Stakes and the Grey Stakes (G3). He won over $300,000 and was 2008 Canadian Juvenile Champion.
Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach of New Mexico approached Cotey and offered $400,000 for the gelding. Cotey accepted, and Mine That Bird was sent to California, where his talent promptly vanished. Next stop, New Mexico.
His new trainer was Bennie Woolley Jr., a relative newcomer to Thoroughbreds who has trained Quarter Horses for many years. At three, Mine That Bird could only manage a third place in a small stakes race, but his earnings meant he was qualified for the Derby. His connections believed in their little gelding, and trucked him 21 hours to Louisville.
When the gate opened on May 3, Mine That Bird was jostled back, but with canny Calvin Borel up, the little Bird flew along the rail as the rest of the field struggled in the mud. Unnoticed by the leaders, the Bird streaked past them to win by open lengths.
Punters ignored his Canadian championship and his classic pedigree, and paid the price. Mine That Bird paid over $103 to win, the second-largest payoff in Derby history.
(Full race coverage and photos of Mine That Bird are available at The Blood-Horse)
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